Aluminium melting furnace



March 26, 1935. E. F. Russ 1,995,524

ALUMINIUM MELTING FURNACE I Filed June 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALUMINIUM MELTING FURNACE Emil Friedrich Russ, Cologne-on-the-Rhine, Germany Application June 18, 1932, Serial No. 617,997

4 Claims. (01. 13-20) This invention relates to an aluminium meltin the chambers situated thereunder. A pyroming furnace, which is tiltable like a cradle toeter 7 may also be fitted in the collecting chamwards both sides from the vertical axis and has her 2 for measuring the bath temperature the two melting chambers electrically heated from pyrometer 7 being adapted to be raised and lowthe roof and connected the one with the other ered by hand in order to protect the protecting 5 by a common collecting chamber for the molten tube of the pyrometer from being attacked by aluminium likewise provided with electrical heatthe molten aluminium when measurements are ing for the roof and situated on a lower plane. not being taken.

These furnaces possess particularly the advan- The charging of the furnace is effected with the tage over other known furnaces, that it is possible aid of gates 8 and 9 arranged one on each side 0 to continually work therewith, to overheat the of the furnace. The gate 8 has a sliding door 10 aluminium metal and to keep the molten metal directly in front of the melting chamber and a practicallv free from impurities. The invention folding door 11-at its other end. On the roof of relates to improvements of furnaces of this type. the gate chamber a flap 12 is arranged adapted An embodiment of the invention is illustrated to act as a valve when oil and other impurities 15 by way of example in the accompanying drawon the metal to be melted are to be evaporated ings, in which: by the waste heat of the furnace. After open- Fig. 1 shows a tiltable furnace in vertical sec-, ing the folding door 11 the metal is charged into tion through the tilting plane. the gate chamber 8 whereupon the folding door Fig. 2 is a section taken at right angles to 11 is closed and the sliding door 10 raised. The 20 Fig. 1. metal can then be pushed through a hole in the Fig. 3 shows a gate-like charging device. folding door 11 into the melting chamber 1, e. g. Fig. 4 shows the front end of a gate-like chargby means of rods. A charge plate 13 is hingedly ing device in side elevation partly in section. mounted on the front end of the gate which,

Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 4. when in the position shown in dotted lines in 25 Fig. 6 shows in vertical section the protecting Fig. 4, facilitates the introductionof the metal device for exchanging the heating loops. into the gate chamber 8 but, when folded down, Fig. 7 is a part cross section of Fig. 6. leaves the space in front of the door free. As Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show different connections of is shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, an edge 14 the heating elements to the net. projects upwards on each side of the charge 30 Fig. 11 shows in front elevation a portion of table and renders it possible to push the charge the furnace end plate with means for fixing on into the chamber 1 by means of a single charge the furnace. truck 15. The charge truck 15 is mounted on Fig. 12 is a part cross section of Fig. 11. rollers and the upwardly projecting edges 14 of In the drawings 1 designates the two melting the table 13 prevent the truck from running off 35 chambers and 2 the common collecting chamber laterally. In the case of the gate 9 shown on the which lies on a slightly lower plane than the left side of Fig. 2 a hinged roof 1'! is provided and melting chambers and into which the molten apiston 18, corresponding accurately to the cross metal, flows from these melting chambers. In sectional area of the gate chamber, is shiftable the bottoms of the two melting chambers grooves in this gate chamber. In the position illustrated, 40 3 are provided as clearly shown in Fig. 1, along the piston 18 closes the front end of the gate which grooves the metal runs from the melting chamber 9. For introducing metal the roof flap chambers into the collecting chamber. The 1'7 is opened the metal is charged into the chammelting chambers 1 may be shut off from or conher 9 and pushed into the melting chamber 1 with nected with the collecting chamber by means of the aid of the piston 19 the roof flap 17 being 45 refractory doors shiftable by counter weights. either opened or closed.

It is possible by means of these doors 5 to dam The heating of the three furnace chambers 1 and regulate the temperature in the melting and 2 is effected with the aid of exchangeable chambers 1 to the greatest possible extent. When heating elements 19 fitted on the roof. In order melting ingots. higher temperatures may be emto facilitate the exchanging of the heating ele- 50 ployed than for melting sheet metal waste. It is ment they are subdivided into Several b s. even possible by means of the doors 5 to work Each band can be pulled out through a lateral with different temperatures in the melting chamaperture closed by a removable brick. The wires bers 1. It is advisable to provide pyrometers 6 connecting the heating elements to the electric on the roof to enable reading of the temperature terminals need previously only be detached after 55 lowering a protecting guard. These elements are shown in Figs. 6 and '7 wherein 20 designates the guard which allows access to the terminals 2, after having been lowered. 22 is the protecting brick which must be removed towards the outer side and 23 designates the interposed slag wool. It is consequently easily apparent how the individual heating elements 19 can be removed in lateral direction.

In order to protect the heating bands from being attacked by the molten aluminium, the heating elements are covered with a plate 25 made of refractory material. This covering must be so constructed that it does not offer great resistance to the passage, as otherwise the heating elements 19 may easily become overheated. The mounting of these cover plates 25 is illustrated in Fig. 7. The individual plates 25' are each mounted on a bolt 26, which is made of flat material so that it can be fixed by wedges 27 at the top and bottom.

The connecting up of the heating elements 19 tothe net may be effected in four different manners as illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10.

I 1. All three chambers 1 and 2 may be heated by three continuous loops, as is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8.

'2. Each of the three chambers can be connected up to one phase of the net, as illustrated in Fi 9.

3,. Each of the three chambers 1 and 2 can be connected to the three phases as shown in Fig. 10. 4'. The connection may be effected as described under 2 and 3 and illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, except that for varying the absorbing capacity of the collecting chamber 2 an ordinary adjustable transformer or a three-phase current transformer is connected up in series in order to alter the capacityby 50%.

As shown in Fig. 2 electric heating elements 24 are also arranged in the melting chambers 1 for increasing the heating capacity.

Further, the pouring spouts 28 shown at the sides in Fig. 1 are provided with electrical heating elements 29 in order to prevent the metal from solidifying in the spouts, and these spouts are preferably covered by a heated plug 30.

Below the roof of the collecting chamber 2 a fan 38 is arranged which is driven mechanically from the outer side and opposes the rise of the heat so as to prevent an accumulation of heat within the range of the electric heating elements and to force the heat to the place where it is required, namely on to the molten bath.

For pouring off the molten metal the furnace can be tilted to either side. For this purpose it is mounted on a double runner 31 which is shiftable on rollers 32. The tilting movement is effected by hand drive or in the case of large furnaces by a drive controlled by a press button. .Two hand wheels 33 are provided for hand drive for which, in the case of electric press button control, two switches must naturally be substituted. In the case of hand drive the operator engages the hand wheel 33 in question by means of its pedal 34 and a claw clutch 35. The transmission is then effected by bevel wheels 36 and a worm wheel and worm.

Above the spouts 28 a slag door 37 is provided.

If necessary, only one tap or pouring aperture 38 can be arranged on one side and one slag removing door 37 on the other side.

The masonry must be carried out 'very carefully in order to prevent all soiling of the aluminium.

The hearth therefore consists according to Fig. 2 of magnesite stones 39. Under this course of magnesite stones 39 a course of semi-insulating stones 40 and thereunder an insulating layer 41 are provided. Further in order to avoid a chemical action between the magnesite stones 39 and the semi-insulating stones 40 at high temperature a thin layer of chromium ore plates 42 is interposed between thecourses 39 and 40. Experience has shown that there is a danger of the magnesite and Chamotte stones entering into combinations in a disagreeable manner, whereby the masonry may be prematurely destroyed. On the ends of the furnace mild steel end plates 43 are arranged.

As these mild steel plates do not tear but may distort and warp, they are provided with sufiicient reinforcements. Further all direct heat radiation onto these end plates 43 is avoided at the operatheated from the roof and a common collecting chamber for the molten aluminium; all chambers provided with electric roof heatingfthe collecting chamber situated on a lower plane than the plane of said melting chambers and communicating with said melting chambers, vertically shiftable refractory doors between said melting chambers and said collecting chamber, and bottom plates in said melting chambers having longitudinal grooves adapted to conduct the liquid metal from said melting chambers into said collecting chamber, even when said doors are closed.

2. In an aluminium melting furnace with two melting chambers and a common collecting chamber, refractory sliding doors between said melting chambers and "said collecting chamber, and charging devices on the front end of said melting chambers and each having a door at its inlet andoutlet ends. I

3. In an aluminium melting chambers and a common collecting chamber havingslag removing apertures, refractory slide doors between said melting chambers and said collecting chamber, doors in said apertures, and pouring spouts extending from said collecting chamber below said slag removing apertures.

4. In a tiltable melting furnace with melting chambers and a common collecting chamber and charging chambers on the front end of the melting chambers, tables pivoted on the front end of said charging chambers, means for lowering said tables when not in use, and for raising same into horizontal position for use,said tables having upwardly projecting side edges for guiding trucks for conveying the charge.

EMH: FRIEDRICH RUSS;

melting furnace with two 

